The northern Kyushu area surrounding the Kanmon Strait is full of attractions to see, eat, drink, and play, all while retaining a retro, historical atmosphere. Two FDA flight attendants will introduce its many charms, from seafood cuisine to the breathtaking views of the Sea of Japan.
The first place the two headed to was Kokura Castle, the symbol of the Kokura area. It was just renovated in March 2019, and a new elevator was installed, making it accessible to wheelchair users. The stone walls are built in the distinctive, rustic style known as "nozura-zumi." Inside, the castle offers an interesting introduction to the turbulent 400-year history of Kokura. Next door is a memorial museum for Seicho Matsumoto, a writer with many fans.
After visiting Kokura Castle, we tried the currently trending "Kakuchi" (a type of sake bar). It's popular not only with locals and office workers, but also with tourists and women thanks to word of mouth.
I met up with the two women from the "Kitakyushu Kakuchi Culture Research Association" in front of Hirao Sake Shop, as we had arranged. This liquor store has been in business in Kokura for about 80 years, and its exterior has a cool, old-fashioned feel that evokes the Showa era.
北九州市小倉北区紺屋町6-14 TEL：093-521-3268
From behind the liquor shelves, you can hear cheerful voices that seem to belong to regulars. The unique world of standing bars remains strong inside liquor stores, both in the past and present. The liquor store owner's mother also chats with you in an unpretentious manner. The reason people are drinking in the middle of the day is because it's a lingering custom that factory workers would stop by before going home after their shifts. "I think this used to be common in every region of Japan. It seems to have started when customers would stop by a liquor store on their way home from work and, if they wanted to drink the liquor they bought right there, a kind shop owner would let them drink it." It varies from store to store, but in some cases, you bring your own bottled or canned alcohol, and order shochu or sake from the shop owner. Payment is also made by the drink, or sometimes it's a self-declaration system, so it's a good idea to ask the customers who are already there.
As I was feeling slightly tipsy and the sun began to set, I was invited to "go to the next standing bar, because each place has a different atmosphere," and we started walking.
On the way, we stopped at Tanga Market, known as the "kitchen of Kitakyushu." Along the 1.2km-long street, 120 shops line the street, brimming with the energy and vibrancy of a local downtown area.
Founded in 1920, Ogura Kamaboko offers delicious fried fish cakes that you can enjoy by yourself. There are also other unique ways to enjoy this market. Ask the market vendors!
We headed to "Suematsu Sake Shop".
The place is lively, with everyone enjoying their drinks in their own way at the small tables and counters mounted on the walls.
Since it's not an izakaya (Japanese pub), the basic thing to do is buy dried snacks from the shelves inside the shop. They have canned yakitori, Korean seaweed, and packaged processed fish products, among other things. The B-grade feel of the place and the retro atmosphere of the shop, with posters of Yujiro Ishihara and other things, create a great vibe. And even if you drink a lot, it's incredibly cheap.
住所：北九州市小倉北区室町2町目4-6
TEL：093-582-3268
Next, we head to Mt. Sarakura, which has been selected as one of Japan's New Three Great Night Views. From the base station, we take a cable car and then a slope car to reach the summit. The parallelogram-shaped cable car we board climbs up a maximum slope of 28 degrees, comparable to a ski jump. In the second half, we switch to the slope car and head to the summit observation deck station.
Sarakurayama Cable Car Website
The seats on the slope car face the windows, offering a panoramic view of the nightscape that seems to spill out of a jewel box. The fantastical night view shines with dazzling light on an overwhelming scale. In the foreground, you can see the factory nightscape of Kitakyushu, and the twinkling lights spread from the Kokura area to the Kanmon Strait and around Mojiko. Also, if you find a heart-shaped stone among the phosphorescent stones on the slope car's deck, something good might happen. With the "Sky Dome," built to commemorate the mountaintop's designation as a "Lover's Sanctuary," this is one of Kitakyushu's most popular romantic date spots.
